


a sky full of sparks

by Shamelessly_Radiant



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: Episode: s05e17 Of Course, F/M, alternative ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22267879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shamelessly_Radiant/pseuds/Shamelessly_Radiant
Summary: Barney takes Robin on the superdate instead.
Relationships: Robin Scherbatsky/Barney Stinson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	a sky full of sparks

**Author's Note:**

> I'm like, a million years late to the party, but have some Robin & Barney.

_"I know where she is."_ _Barney said, and smiling faintly, he walked out of the door._

* * *

"I didn't know you felt this way." Barney said, while Robin tried to surreptisiously wipe some tears away from her eyes.

Robin shrugged, leaning heavily on the counter, breathing in and out steadily, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat.

"Come on," Barney said, suddenly, holding out his hand, palm up, that mischievous, boyish smile Robin loved on his face.

"What?" Robin asked, trying (and failing) to keep a small answering smile at bay. "Why?"

"Come on," Barney said again, gesturing with his head. "You trust me, don't you?"

In answer, Robin curled her fingers through his hand, and his grip was warm and dry and lovely as he led her away.

**.**

Barney had pulled out the full stops. A horse-drawn carriage through the park, champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries and through it all, Barney's calming, steady presence warm at her side. No talk about his conquest, no straying eyes - not even when a girl with a _huge_ _rack_ walked by, though his eyes did start to twitch a bit until she laughed and told him he could look. (Which he didn't, much to her surprise). No dirty remarks or inuendos, or well, not much.

And it was lovely. And it was nice.

And when their carriage stopped on a deserted bridge over the Hudson, overlooking the New York City skyline, and fireworks illuminated the sky in flashes of red and blue and shining gold, he turned to her and took her both hands in his.

"I know I've been insensitive and rude, and I'm sorry."

"Oh," she said on a laugh, shaking her head and trying to pull her hands away, but he didn't let her.

"No, Robin, listen. You were important to me. You _are_ imporant to me. I've never wanted to date a girl before, and I don't think I'll ever want to date one again. And you know how I feel about _marriage,_ " he spit out the word as if it were something filthy, and his face twisted, but then he continued- "but if I'd _ever_ want to marry a girl, it'd be you, Scherbatsky. You're awesome. Almost as much as I am. And I hate that I hurt your feelings."

"Oh," Robin said, faintly, a curious warm feeling curling up in her belly, and smiling despite herself. "And what about Anita?"

"Anita, who?" Barney asked. "Pshhhh."

"Barney," she laughed.

"Believe me when I say, Scherbatsky, there is no place I'd rather be, and no one I'd rather be with." He pressed a kiss right on the edge of her mouth, and Robin felt her mouth go dry, and her body grow languid with want.

But that night, Robin just laid her head on his shoulder, and they watched the fireworks together, and then he drove her home like a proper gentleman, and left her safe at our door.

* * *

_Because your uncle Barney? He cares, kids. But that is a story for another time._


End file.
